A protected Albanian island at the heart of a $1.5 billion resort plan backed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner is becoming the focus of an increasingly fierce fight over development, conservation and political influence.
The project centers on Sazan Island, a former Cold War military outpost off Albania’s coast that sits within the Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park. Supporters say the development could create jobs, attract foreign investment and help turn Albania into one of the Mediterranean’s next luxury tourism destinations.
Sazan Island, a former Cold War military outpost within Albania’s Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park, is at the center of a proposed $1.5 billion resort development backed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
Not everyone is convinced. Environmental groups fear the island could lose the very qualities that made it attractive in the first place, arguing that a protected landscape that remained largely untouched for decades could be permanently altered by large-scale development.
As Albania pursues closer ties with the European Union, the battle over Sazan Island has evolved into more than a dispute over a resort. The proposal has become part of a wider debate about environmental protection, foreign investment and how far governments should go in opening protected land to major development projects.
From Military Outpost to Billion-Dollar Development
Military tunnels cut through Sazan Island’s hillsides, abandoned bunkers overlook its coastline and former defence installations remain scattered across the landscape. While many Mediterranean coastlines were transformed by hotels, marinas and tourism infrastructure, Sazan remained largely untouched, allowing much of its natural environment to develop with relatively little human interference.
Military bunkers and abandoned buildings still stand on Sazan Island, a former Cold War military outpost that remained largely closed to the public for decades.
The island’s isolation helped preserve both its ecological significance and its sense of mystery. Once known primarily as a strategic military outpost, Sazan is now attracting attention for a very different reason. According to public statements, Ivanka Trump first became interested in the island after visiting Albania’s coastline during a boating trip. What began as a personal discovery later evolved into a proposal that could become one of the largest tourism investments in Albania’s history.
The timing reflects Albania’s growing popularity as a tourist destination. The Albanian Riviera has attracted increasing numbers of international visitors in recent years, with travelers drawn by its relatively undeveloped coastline, lower costs and growing reputation as an alternative to more established Mediterranean destinations. As investor interest has expanded, previously overlooked coastal sites have become increasingly valuable, placing locations such as Sazan Island firmly on developers’ radar.
Why Sazan Island Has Become So Controversial
Sazan Island is not just another stretch of undeveloped coastline. The island sits within the Karaburun-Sazan Marine National Park, an area known for its protected habitats, marine biodiversity and limited development. After decades of restricted access, much of the landscape has remained largely unchanged while other parts of the Mediterranean experienced waves of tourism construction.
That history helps explain why the proposed resort has generated such strong reactions. Environmental groups fear that large-scale construction could alter a rare section of coastline that has escaped the intensive development seen elsewhere in the region. Developers and government officials point instead to the economic opportunities the project could create, including new jobs, investment and tourism revenue.
Additional attention has focused on the Albanian government’s decision to grant strategic investor status to companies linked to the development. The designation is intended to encourage major investment projects, but opponents say it raises questions about transparency and whether high-profile developments receive advantages that smaller projects do not. Although the status does not remove environmental reviews or planning requirements, it has become one of the most closely scrutinized aspects of the proposal.
The Debate Over Sazan Island’s Future
The resort proposal has already grown into something much larger than a tourism development. What started as a plan to transform a former military island into a luxury destination now sits at the intersection of environmental protection, foreign investment and politics.
Environmental groups continue to question whether large-scale construction belongs on a protected island, while government officials maintain the project can deliver investment, jobs and long-term economic benefits. The debate has become even more intense because of the high-profile names attached to the development and the Albanian government’s decision to grant strategic investor status to companies linked to the project.
Sazan Island, Albania’s largest island in the Adriatic Sea.
Allegations of favoritism and corruption have also surfaced during the controversy, although Albanian officials have repeatedly rejected those claims. There is currently no publicly verified evidence that Sazan Island has been privately sold to Kushner or that government officials personally profited from the proposal. Even so, questions surrounding transparency, oversight and environmental protections continue to follow the project.
Years may pass before the island’s future becomes clear. Environmental reviews, planning approvals and potential legal challenges could all influence what ultimately gets built. What was once a largely forgotten military island has become the focus of a debate that stretches far beyond Albania’s coastline.